I think I am severely Depressed...Is this normal?

Hi guys, I am in second semester of nursing school. I failed my first quiz (it was math) I got a 63. I was fine because my professor drops one. Okay, then I failed the 1st med surg quiz! i was so depressed when i saw it. I mean when I saw that tears came down to my eyes. I READ EVERYTHING! WORD BY WORD. I do not know how to study for med surg anymore. i cry all the time and feel SO worthless. The other day I stayed home crying all day and did not go to school. I was an A student in HS. This is why I feel sooo bad! I really want to pass. The math quiz i thought i WOULD PASS because I studied for it. BUT THE MED SURG?! I killed myself for that. I keep asking everyone how they made through med surg. GUYS PLEASE HELP ME! I have felt like just leaving and I dont know... disappear.

For me what has helped is writing on note cards some pathophysiology, etiology, medications and nursing management for each disease. Writing it down on a small card forces you to pick the important stuff and you'll skim over the fluff. When it comes to the tests I have a few rules I think about before I pick an answer. First I ask myself if it is an assessment question. Check the answers and see if there are any answers that relate to assessment. For instance, I had a question that was about a patient calling you're clinic with diarrhea and asking what to do for it. 3 answers were intervention focused, one was assessment focused. The assessment answer was the right one even though the 3 intervention answers sounded good. Remember the nursing process since it will guide how you answer scenario based questions. You need to decide where in the process you are being dropped off and act from there.

Secondly I try to think about priorities. Priority questions are tough, but you can pick the right answer by what is most emergent. What condition, if not taken care of first, can lead to a patient going down the drain or lead you to backtracking and wasting time. If you tell yourself "I'll do answer B first and then do something else" that answer is wrong. The answer needs to be an end point that closes the scenario instead of leading you to make up a story about what happens next.

Another common question type are delegation questions. Remember that CNA's can't do anything except take measurements and record them. They can't interpret, assess or do anything like that. That is the nurse's job. The word "assess" may be used to trick you. Assess has a very specific meaning, it does not mean to just observe. A CNA can't assess, remember that. They record and measure. That is all.

And finally medications... for that you really should learn classes of drugs, not individual drugs. Drugs in a class generally have a similar sounding suffix or prefix. Memorize the protype drugs side effects and a few ones outlined in the book, but as far as memorizing individual drugs, don't. I am finishing up my first Med-Surge class. Its in a 12 month program so the class is 5 weeks. I've slowly improved my scores each test using my rules. The thing is, you need to stick with them and know they work. I've answered some questions where I picked an answer not because I felt it was right but because it made sense when thinking about the nursing process or priorities. Even though I did not want to pick them because they felt "off", I made myself pick them and they ended up being right. Good luck.

Feb 6, '13

Do not give up. I was an A/B student as well and my grades changed in nursing school. Nursing is hard, there's no doubt about it. Maybe you could find a study buddy or a tutor? There were tests that I didn't pass either and it is very disheartening. But I was determined to succeed and ultimately did graduate 2 months ago AND just passed boards 2 days ago. You CAN do this! Keep a positive attitude!
As far as feeling depressed...yes its normal. I have depression anyway and there were times I felt like giving up. But I had a lot of friends and family that supported me and kept pushing me. Don't give up on yourself. You owe it to YOU! Good luck

Feb 6, '13

I think you need to make an appoint with your teacher and find out what you are needing to change. I think you need to talk to someone...a counselor at school your PCP....see if you need to talk to someone.

Find a tutor at school...go to the nursing office they know of fellow students willing to help other students. It is very hard to think like a nurse. Take a deep breath....now got to your teacher to come up with a plan on what help you need.

Anything worth having is worth fighting for. ((HUGS))

Feb 6, '13

If I were you, I would go talk to my instructors and tell them how you've been studying and ask them for advice and ideas on how to study differently.

Just remember, you have gotten then grades you got in the past as well as have gotten into nursing school, you're smart enough to be there. You just need to learn how to study for this type of class.

Feb 6, '13

2bnursekis don't be discouraged. See the advice above for solid input. Do talk to trusted family members and friends about your feelings; all feelings are valid, it is what you do with them that can help or hurt your direction.

Feb 6, '13

Than you so much! I will try to so what you are advising me :I THANK you so much! i truly want to stop crying everyday.

Feb 6, '13

Unfortunately Nursing School is an entirely different animal than other types of schooling, especially HS! I'm in my 3rd semester (ADN program) and have seen so many intelligent hard workers fail out. I'm not trying to discourage you though. It can be done! You have to figure out how to answer the questions. Many of the answers will be "right". You need to pick the one that is most right! The instructors and my peers all joke about how nursing school really causes mental illness. I never became depressed, but I seemed to have developed some pretty significant anxiety, and I NEVER became anxious before nursing school. If you are feeling clinically depressed you need to see your doctor. Give it your best right now, and go to class!!! You have to go to class, no matter how crappy your feeling. If you end up failing a class, it sucks...but you just pick yourself up and take it again. Good Luck! Everything will work out the way it's supposed to.

Feb 6, '13

Thank you all for your answers. I already went to 3 different med surg instructors at my school and i showed them my notes. They all told me that usually people fail the first quiz. but that did not make me feel ok. ALL the class except me. thank you all! I will try my best. I don't want to give up. You all give encouragement Another thing is that my classmates are very selfish and to themselves. they do not share. At all!

Feb 6, '13

I think it's true that there's a significant learning curve to these types of questions.

My instructors know this, so the first test had half the number of questions. They also worded them a bit easier (but still nclex style) to kind of ease us into this way of thinking about questions.

We also do lots of practice questions as we go along in lecture with an iclicker. That really helps us... seeing what kinds of questions they could ask about the info we jest discussed.

For me what has helped is writing on note cards some pathophysiology, etiology, medications and nursing management for each disease. Writing it down on a small card forces you to pick the important stuff and you'll skim over the fluff. When it comes to the tests I have a few rules I think about before I pick an answer. First I ask myself if it is an assessment question. Check the answers and see if there are any answers that relate to assessment. For instance, I had a question that was about a patient calling you're clinic with diarrhea and asking what to do for it. 3 answers were intervention focused, one was assessment focused. The assessment answer was the right one even though the 3 intervention answers sounded good. Remember the nursing process since it will guide how you answer scenario based questions. You need to decide where in the process you are being dropped off and act from there.

Secondly I try to think about priorities. Priority questions are tough, but you can pick the right answer by what is most emergent. What condition, if not taken care of first, can lead to a patient going down the drain or lead you to backtracking and wasting time. If you tell yourself "I'll do answer B first and then do something else" that answer is wrong. The answer needs to be an end point that closes the scenario instead of leading you to make up a story about what happens next.

Another common question type are delegation questions. Remember that CNA's can't do anything except take measurements and record them. They can't interpret, assess or do anything like that. That is the nurse's job. The word "assess" may be used to trick you. Assess has a very specific meaning, it does not mean to just observe. A CNA can't assess, remember that. They record and measure. That is all.

And finally medications... for that you really should learn classes of drugs, not individual drugs. Drugs in a class generally have a similar sounding suffix or prefix. Memorize the protype drugs side effects and a few ones outlined in the book, but as far as memorizing individual drugs, don't. I am finishing up my first Med-Surge class. Its in a 12 month program so the class is 5 weeks. I've slowly improved my scores each test using my rules. The thing is, you need to stick with them and know they work. I've answered some questions where I picked an answer not because I felt it was right but because it made sense when thinking about the nursing process or priorities. Even though I did not want to pick them because they felt "off", I made myself pick them and they ended up being right. Good luck.

Reading this have given me so much encouragement. I am also taking med-surg and I have my first exam this Monday. U hit everything on the nose and it sounds like u have already begun to think like a RN. Appreciate your post and the pointers I believe they will be helpful for upcoming exams. Thanx!!!😄

Hi guys, I am in second semester of nursing school. I failed my first quiz (it was math) I got a 63. I was fine because my professor drops one. Okay, then I failed the 1st med surg quiz! i was so depressed when i saw it. I mean when I saw that tears came down to my eyes. I READ EVERYTHING! WORD BY WORD. I do not know how to study for med surg anymore. i cry all the time and feel SO worthless. The other day I stayed home crying all day and did not go to school. I was an A student in HS. This is why I feel sooo bad! I really want to pass. The math quiz i thought i WOULD PASS because I studied for it. BUT THE MED SURG?! I killed myself for that. I keep asking everyone how they made through med surg. GUYS PLEASE HELP ME! I have felt like just leaving and I dont know... disappear.

To the OP hang in there I know it will get better. Do not let one quiz get the best of u. Stay strong and encouraged because as future nurses we need to be strong for the weak. Take the advice that mr.cooper gave and see how that helps u I am doing the same. Stay blessed